This unique program is a combo of virtual consults + in-person acupuncture
The Blue Ova 4-Month Fertility Prep Program is a results-based program based on the core tenets of the Blue Ova Method. It is a proven program that combines expertise in holistic medicine with research-based protocols. Our program is crafted to optimize a couple's ability to conceive through acupuncture, herbal medicine, vitamins and supplements, nutrition, and lifestyle. Developed by Blue Ova Clinical Director Robin Sheared through over 15 years of research and treating clients, the program supports both those looking to conceive and carry naturally, as well as those seeking to complement their current medical fertility treatments.
Our program has been crafted to be implemented with a combination of virtual consults + in-person acupuncture, herbs, and supplements, and at-home lab draw kits.
Why 4 Months?
The Blue Ova Fertility Prep program is constructed around the four-month period that it takes for an egg to mature. During that time our program focuses on creating healthy follicles and better egg quality; balancing hormones and regulating your menstrual cycle, and get your body as a whole in the best condition for conception to occur.
WHO IS THE IDEAL CLIENT FOR THIS PROGAM?
This method was designed for both people just starting to prepare to conceive all the way through to those who have been trying to conceive for years. It is structured for both those trying to conceive naturally or with reproductive assistance including IUI and IVF (egg retrievals, embryo transfers). If you become pregnant during the 4 months, the program works to support and carry during the first trimester and onwards.
Core facets of the 4 Month Fertility Prep Program:
Acupuncture + Acupressure
Acupuncture is the modality we use if we are seeing you in person in our clinic. We insert the needles (painless and as fine as a human hair) into the selected acupuncture points and let them send their signals for 20-30 minutes. We work with meridian systems which are lines that parallel different veins and arteries, and travel all over the body. There are 14 meridians and each one innervates with a different organ system. On these meridians lie over 600 acupuncture points. We rarely select more than 12 points. When we insert the needles we are sending signals to your body and nervous system to remind it how to go back to its most balanced state. There is nothing we are forcing or adding. We are simply reminding your body how to optimize its fertile potential.
Acupressure is a useful tool if you do not live near our clinic in the San Francisco Bay Area. It can be taught via virtual consultations and customized to your unique constitution and goals. Similar to acupuncture, acupressure will send signals to your body to encourage it to go back to its most balanced state which will then be optimizing your fertility. We select specific points that are ideal for the phase of your cycle you are in, while also addressing all your concerns. If you are also needing to also get support around stress, sleep, pain, digestive issues, etc, we will address this as well. Acupressure works similarly to acupuncture, but it requires more manual work on your end. We will help you locate the points and show you how to press and activate them. We will also email you a detailed picture and description of how to find the points for later use so you can continue the practice daily.
Herbal Medicine
Herbal medicine is a cornerstone of our program. Taking personalized herbal formulas is akin to putting training wheels on your menstrual cycle. We customize different gynecological formulas for each phase of your cycle, and thus are able each day to encourage your body to shift towards a more optimal fertile picture. By giving herbs during different phases of your cycle, we will be reminding your body how to shift hormonally to optimize your cycle at each phase. If your cycle is already in a balanced state, we will focus on egg quality support.
Our herbs are gentle yet extremely effective and create real physiological change. The process is dynamic and your herbs are adjusted as your situation changes. We prescribe a month supply and re-evaluate at the end of each month. We modify the herbs each month as we expect to see positive shifts and changes during that period of time. Learn more about herbal medicine for reproductive health.
Functional + Conventional Labs
Functional Labs:
Often there are root causes that are not detected with routine lab work, and functional lab tests help clarify a patient's condition and reveal the steps needed to establish optimal health.
These tests often explore various bodily systems in more depth, looking at aspects such as nutritional status, metabolic function, hormonal balance, and more. The goal is to offer a more comprehensive view of an individual's health, allowing for personalized treatment plans that address the root causes of health issues, rather than just the symptoms. We offer a large number of specific tests that can be ordered depending on each client, including Metabolomix+, GI-MAP, MRT, and DUTCH test.
Conventional Labs:
We also want our female clients to have your blood tested on day 2 or day 3 of your cycle in order to determine how hard your body is working to recruit a follicle for ovulation. This is a direct reflection of your ovarian reserve, as the harder the body has to work, the lower the reserve. If you have not yet had your labs taken for your OB-GYN or reproductive clinic, we can have your hormones tested from home via our partner, Modern Fertility, an at-home lab testing company. We review all your labs with you and explain them in an understandable and digestible format. These support our treatment plan and recommendations.
For our male clients, we recommend getting a semen analysis and letting us review the report so we can fine-tune our recommendations. If you have not had a semen analysis, we partner with Fellow, an at-home mail-in semen analysis company. Sperm function testing, known as semen analysis, can provide valuable clinical insights into defects causing male infertility or low numbers causing sub-optimal fertility. Even if you were told your semen was "good", we want to see the report so we can better understand the details of it and optimize it further. Volume, concentration, motility, morphology, and semen ph are all taken into account when we customize your treatment plan.
Nutrition
Eating certain foods and avoiding others has been medically proven to improve the ovulatory function of a woman and increase her chances of becoming pregnant. When it comes to food choices there are so many different diets and recommendations out there. We will customize a dietary plan that will weave together what foods to be eating and what foods to avoid. These recommendations will depend on your Chinese Medical diagnosis.
From recommendations of food groups, focus on specific foods, recipes and shopping lists, we are here to help create a plan that can be set in place and carried out with as much ease as possible.
Nutritional Supplements
Nutritional supplements are used to help support the body's reproductive health in many ways. It is important to begin boosting your body now with vitamins and minerals it will need throughout pregnancy, as well as support it with additional nutrients to improve reproductive health.
When it comes to choosing what type of supplements to use and sourcing them, we always work from a research-driven, evidence-based method. This feeds into our prescription process, from selection to dosages, to uses. We recommend only the highest quality supplements with the greatest bio-availability. This ensures we are using pure nutrients that will be absorbed and utilized.
Whether you are focusing on fertility preparation, have PCOS, endometriosis, irregular cycles, thin uterine lining, are trying naturally to conceive, are of advanced maternal age, have poor egg quality, are going through IUI, have been a low responder to egg retrievals, have had failed embryo transfers, have a history of miscarriages or other, we are here to customize the supplement recommendations accordingly.
Celluma LED Light Therapy
LED red light and near-infrared light therapy for female fertility is a non-invasive treatment to increase ATP (cellular energy production), reduce inflammation, improve uterine lining, and reduce inflammation.
Ground-breaking research with LED / near-infrared light therapy conducted in Denmark and Japan is showing that it may be possible to improve egg quality, slow down the aging process and significantly improve fertility in women and men.
We see enormous potential in this research for women and men who are struggling to conceive—particularly those who are of advanced maternal age, diagnosed with poor egg or sperm quality, or have been diagnosed with endometriosis and PCOS.
We work with you to figure out if LED Light Therapy would be a good fit, and incorporate it into the program in a realistic and beneficial schedule to best fit your fertility goals.
Basal Body Temperature (BBT)
Knowledge is power when it comes to your reproductive health. Charting your basal body temperature (BBT) is an excellent way to get a look into what's really going on with your cycle, and is one of the primary tools in the 4-Month Fertility Prep Program.
What is your BBT? When you are sleeping or very relaxed the core temperature of your body drops. This low, resting temperature is called your basal body temperature. By charting your BBT each morning upon waking, we get a sneak peek at where your body’s hormones are at every day of your cycle. We use this information to continue fine-tune our custom recommendations for each client.
Lifestyle
Moderation is key. Based on your Chinese medical diagnosis we will recommend what adequate sleep should look like and what exercises would be optimal for you. Different kinds of exercises will be more beneficial for certain people and not for others, and this is where customization is key. We will also work with you to review all other lifestyle factors (eg stress, grief, addiction) in order to create a tailored plan for optimizing your lifestyle towards being the most fertile one.
Testimonial
I'm forever grateful to Robin and the incredible team at Blue Ova. In 2016 I arrived, pretty distraught and hopeless after 2 back to back miscarriages. Robin took an extensive thoughtful medical history and offered a lot of genuine compassion and support along the way. She's an amazing listener. She not only provided supplemental advice and gentle acupuncture treatments, but helped teach me how to be an advocate for myself in the OB/Gyn realm. I asked for certain blood tests, learned how to track my cycle, and in turn was able to provide Robin with helpful data so we were able to work together to proactively help my body be more likely to be able to support another life. This was incredibly life changing and empowering as I was previously told by my medical Dr. there was nothing I could do but wait until I had 3 successive miscarriages, and then fertility treatments could begin…. Two months later I was pregnant. - Heather C. / YELP
